[In honor of the centennial anniversary of the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen].

The subject of this report is the life of W. C. Roentgen, the history of the discovery of X-rays and their role in contemporary science. Roentgen's life was entirely filled with creative scientific work. The centennial year of the discovery of X-ray, 1995, will be an opportunity for radiologists and other members of the medical community to tell public about the accomplishments of medical radiation science during 100 years of amazing progress. The radiologists all over the world are obliged to pay the tribute to the great German scientist whose discovery become the property of the whole mankind. The author, as a specialist in radiology, has tried to draw a comprehensive picture of the achievements of medicinal radiology over the last 100 years.